


The Arrangement

by twistedrunes



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Period-Typical Racism, Slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-13 11:56:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18468463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistedrunes/pseuds/twistedrunes
Summary: What if Esme didn't marry John?





	The Arrangement

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ashling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashling/gifts).



The flash of black and white through the trees as his only guide Tommy spurs his horse onwards in a vain attempt to catch up to the Gypsy girl leading him on a merry chase. He ducks down to avoid a low hanging branch taking the opportunity to look behind him. He hadn’t seen a soul behind him, other than John and Arthur since they left the lanes of Birmingham. Yet the Gypsy had insisted they were followed and had commanded they follow before darting off between the trees.

She was an exceptional rider, while he doubted she could match his ability on a track, or around town, here in the forest she and the horse were one. Her raven hair streaming out behind her, matching that of her horses tail. The pair move effortlessly through the forest.

“Stop,” Tommy calls out, pulling back on the reigns of his own horse. Arthur and John falling in behind him.

The Gypsy lifts her head and slows her horse to a trot, turning in a circle to come alongside Tommy.

“I’m here to meet with Queen Mary Lee, not to careen around the forest like some Lord on a fox hunt,” Tommy says haughtily.

“Oh, I thought you liked playing at being high born.” The Gypsy girl laughs.

John snorts and earns himself a clip over the ear from Arthur.

Tommy scowls “Stop wasting my time and take me to her.”

“I am.” The girl’s voice is light and playful. “If we don’t keep stopping to chat we should be there before nightfall.”

“Nightfall?!” Tommy can’t hide the irritation in this voice.

“What did you think she would just meet you, in some clearing, on the edge of the city?” She scoffs.

“She would have been safe.”

“Oh, so those men were your guards were they?” The girl mocks.

“There were no men.” Tommy snaps.

“There were. If you’d taken the time to pay attention you would have noticed. The forest would have told you.”

Tommy sucks his teeth. “Don’t try that Gypsy bullshit on me girl.”

The girl straightens on the horse, shoulders back, head held high, jaw set and eyes blazing. Tommy realises she’s not quite the girl he had thought, in her mid to late twenties, he guesses now he’s looked closely. Pretty. “You’ve forgotten who you are, Thomas. Forgotten your heritage.” She chastises before she digs her heels in the side of her horse and urges him on. “Try to keep up, if you want to get there before dark.” She calls over her shoulder, as she disappears between the trees. Tommy clicks his tongue and digs his heels into the horses flank, feeling a rush as he pursues her.

\-----------------------------------------

“Finally,” John moans as they reach the circle of caravans by a small river. He slides off his horse immediately and kneads his ass.

“Give me a car any fuckin’ day.” Arthur agrees, joining his brother on the ground.

Only Tommy remains mounted, watching the girl already striding across the clearing. 

“I’ll take your horse, Mr Shelby.” A young man says appearing at his side. “There’s some sweet grass down by the river and we’ve got some oats.”

Tommy nods and dismounts, handing the reigns over before striding after the young woman. A wave of irritation washing over him. He wasn’t in the habit of chasing after anyone, especially women. Normally they came to him, more so recently since he’d earned a reputation as someone dangerous to know. Yet this woman seemed indifferent to him. She hadn’t given him a backwards glance since they’d arrived.

“Oi! Lads!” Johnny Doggs calls from the fireside. “Come wait ‘ere by the fire.” Tommy ignores him and continues after the girl. “Now Tommy you’ll not be winning any friends bursting into people’s caravan’s uninvited.” Johnny chastises. “Here to make peace remember.”

Tommy grunts in irritation, but follows Johnny’s counsel at joins him by the fire.

“Here you go, Tommy.” Johnny says pushing a bottle into his hand. “A little some’in’ I made meself.”

Tommy takes a long pull on the bottle, nearly choking as the harsh liquid hits him like a punch in the gut. “Fuck!” He manages before handing the bottle to Arthur.

“Ay, it has a kick,” Johnny says proudly.

“A kick?” Arthur splutters “More like being hit by a fucking freight train.”

“So where is she, Queen Mary?” Tommy, irritated with being made to wait, demands.

“She’ll be out presently,” Johnny says handing the bottle back to Tommy.

\----------------------------------------

The sun has set, and more people had joined them by the fire, the evening taking on the air of a party. As the moon rose more bottles were opened and dinner was served. Still, Tommy waited. He declined the offer of food from Johnny and excused himself under the pretext of needing to check on the horses.

“Shhh,” He whispers against the horse’s neck as it whinny’s softly. “It’s just me, I know you’re not used to being out here. But you’ll be okay, it’s only for tonight.”

“He’s beautiful.” A voice says from the other side of the horse. The woman who had led them here ducking under the horse’s neck. “Not as beautiful as my boy of course.” She says teasingly, the reflected firelight dancing in her eyes.

Tommy can’t help but smile, “You ride well.” He acknowledges. “How old were you when you learnt?”

“I could ride before I could walk my dad says.”

“It shows,” Tommy says awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. He turns his attention back to the horse, petting his neck and casting subtle glances at his companion. The silence between them draws out like the night, seemingly going on forever. 

“You should eat something, Mr Shelby,” she says, eventually. “You can have some of what I’ve made. There’s no hedgehog I promise.” Her voice has a hint of a laugh behind it.

Tommy finds himself smiling at her quick tongue. “What a shame, just what I was hoping for.” He quips.

“I'm not one of your city girls Mr Shelby, you can't just get whatever you want here.” She shoots over her shoulder as she strides towards the caravans.

Tommy steps out from the huddle of horses and pulls a cigarette from the case, lighting it and drawing the smoke deep into his lungs, watching as she strides towards her caravan. Tommy glances over at his brothers. They seem to be trying to organise a fight. John stripping off his shirt and Arthur calling for bets.

Tommy’s just about to head over and put a stop to it when she calls to him. “Thomas!” Tommy’s head snaps back to face her. “Keep up.” She calls back, turning to face him and walking backwards as she does so. The firelight behind her brings a glow to her hair, her eyes dancing as she beckons him to follow.

He does. She stops at one of the caravans and lifts the lid on a pot of stew hanging over a small fire. She picks up a bowl and serves out a portion. She motions to one of the stools by the fire and holds the bowl out to Tommy.

“Thank you.” He says taking the bowl.

He’s just about to take a mouthful when a young man approaches. “Mr Shelby. If you come with me Mary will see you now.”

Tommy stands but hesitates for a moment with the bowl in his hands.

“I’ll keep it warm for you.” The woman says holding out her hand for the bowl.

“Thank you,” Tommy pauses realising he doesn’t know her name. “What’s your name?”

“Esmerelda.” She says with a smile her eyes truly sparkling this close to the fire. "But my friends call me Esme." 

“Thank you, Esmerelda.”

"Esme," she says taking the bowl from his hands

\-----------------------------------------

“A Shelby must marry a Lee.” Queen Mary says with finality. “Join the families in kinship, it’s the only way to end this war.” She looks to Zilpha Lee and then to Tommy “Agreed?”

Tommy nods, already deciding it would be John who would marry. He needed a mother for his children."

Zilpha glares at him across the dimly lit room “Only if it’s you Tommy.”

“What?” Tommy splutters.

“You are unmarried are you not?” Queen Mary challenges.

“And you are head of the family. It will show that you take this seriously.” Zilpha adds.

Tommy sits for a moment, lighting a cigarette as a way to give himself some time to think. This time no easy plan springs to mind. He thinks briefly of Grace, the subtle glances and accidental touches. 

"Tommy?" Queen Mary pushes.

Tommy nods once "A wedding it is then." 

“The sooner the better. The Lee’s are here, you are here. We will hold the ceremony tomorrow morning.” Queen Mary decrees.

“Who?” Tommy asks.

“Does it matter?” Zilpha quips. “I will need to consult with my people. Tomorrow should be soon enough shouldn’t it?”

“Tomorrow then.” Tommy agrees.

 

Tommy hasn’t felt this dazed since the world collapsed on him in France. He can’t see a way out. He can feel himself starting to panic as he stumbles across the camp. He flinches away when Arthur’s heavy hand claps down on his shoulder. Arthur doesn’t notice, eyes pinpricks and breath heavy with liquor. “All sorted brother?”

“Sorted,” Tommy confirms, taking the offered bottle from his brother before slipping out of his grasp. “Horses.” He grunts by way of explanation as he walks away.

Thankfully Arthur is distracted by a pretty girl asking him to dance and simply replies with a hurried “Right.” Before allowing himself to be pulled away.

Tommy presses his face into the neck of the first horse he comes to. He stays there breathing in the scent until he feels a gentle pressure against his back. “Why don’t you come and have that food now?” Esme's gentle voice matches her touch.

There’s something in her tone or touch that renders Tommy helpless to resist. He allows her to take his hand and lead him to her campfire. Once he’s settled in a chair she serves him a fresh bowl of stew and hands it to him. “You’ll feel better once you’ve eaten something.”

Tommy nods and brings a spoonful of the stew to his mouth. He chews slowly, his mind still reeling. He follows it with another and another. It’s good he realises. Really good. “Venison heart?” He asks, looking across at his host.

She nods happily. “Liver too, I’m surprised you recognised it. Perhaps you haven’t lost all your heritage after all.”

“Mum used to make this. When dad went poaching, he’d sell the meat but keep the heart and liver for us.”

“Good food for growing boys.” Esme comments.

Tommy takes a swig from the bottle he had taken from Arthur. He holds it out towards Esme who takes it and takes a long draft and hands it back. Tommy scrapes the last of the gravy from his bowl “That was excellent, thank you.” Tommy feels himself slipping out of the grasp of the panic that threatened to consume him. He sets the bowl down, lights a cigarette and hangs his head back, looking at the sky. 

“Did the meeting go well?" Esme asks as she takes the bowl back.

“Hmm,” Tommy confirms looking over towards the main fire, people dancing and talking around it. His eyes follow some of the younger women wondering which will be his bride.

Esme shuffles around the fire, drawing Tommy’s attention away from the larger throng of people. In the firelight, her features shine. Radiant face with a smile seemingly always playing at the corners of her mouth, her brown eyes are deep and warm. There’s fierce independence and intelligence there too.

Catching him looking at her she smiles warmly “Tea?” she offers, placing the kettle on some coals on the edge of the fire.

“Thank you.”

 

Each holding their tea cup in their hands Esme and Tommy sit side by side watching the revellers. They watch John win his fight and then immediately get into another with some men trying to win their money back. Watch Arthur be led away by a pretty girl with deep auburn hair.

“Tell me about your brothers,” Esme asks softly.

“What about them?” Tommy asks, relieved for a distraction from the thought his brother may be about to bed the woman who would be his wife in the morning.

“Are they married? Do they have children? I don’t know really. Just tell me about the Shelby’s, the family who stopped travelling.”

“Why do you care that we don’t travel?” Tommy asks in response.

“I don’t really, I’m just curious about what it’s like to be in the same place every day. Stuck in the city, unable to smell the earth or hear the whispers on the breeze.” Esme pauses tilting her head back to look at the sky. “Unable to see the stars at night.”

“You sound like mum,” Tommy says after hanging his own head back and taking a deep breath.

“Did she miss it?”

“Yeah, she used to take us out sometimes. Usually when dad got out of hand. But then she got sick and we didn’t go anymore.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Yeah,” Tommy agrees. “It was nice to run around, not go to school. Plus there were lots of horses.”

Esme tilts her head to look at Tommy, an easy smile, bringing the same to Tommy’s lips.

“So tell me about your brothers.”

Tommy does. Telling far more than he would usually. Finding Esme’s eager expression when he paused or hesitated about telling more easily pulling more words from him. Explaining about Arthur’s troubles after the war, but also his fierce loyalty. John’s children and that he had lost Martha and now seemed lost and overwhelmed by raising a family on his own. Esme listened, asking questions occasionally. She offers tales about her siblings too.

When the wind starts up Esme finds a blanket and they shuffle closer together to share it. She asks about his mother and his father, about how Polly had raised them, about Finn and Ada.

As the bottle, he’d taken from Arthur runs dry so do Esme’s questions. He wants to know more about her. But stops himself. He’s to be married in the morning after all. “How long have you had the stallion?” He asks. A weak compromise, not wanting the evening to end and still wanting to the melody of her voice.

Esme positively beams and happily explains how her father had won him in a bet. Her enthusiasm for horses matching his own they both recount tales of all the horses they’ve owned. As the night gets colder  
and the party is dying down when they finally run out of things to say about horses. A lengthy but comfortable silence developing between them. Tommy feels lighter than he has in years. He looks down on Esme feeling her weight against his side, on the verge of telling her, he’s to be married. That’s it for the good of the family. That he wishes it wasn’t happening. But Esme has drifted off, long lashes kissing her cheeks and head nodding. Tommy slips his arm around her shoulders, bringing her tight and allowing her head to rest on his shoulder. It takes a long time, but eventually, sleep takes him too.

\----------------------------------------------

“Tommy!” John’s voice bellows from across the camp.

Tommy’s eyes flutter open and he’s disappointed to find himself alone at the fireside. He glances around for Esme but she’s nowhere to be seen. He doesn’t bother to respond to his brothers yelled greeting waiting for both John and Arthur, who was trailing behind John, to reach him before he speaks. “Mornin’”

The brothers nod in returned greeting, both grinning. Tommy waits silently for them to speak, unable to be bothered with their games this early in the morning.

“Johnny tells us you’re to be married.” Arthur breaks first.

“This morning” John adds with a laugh.

“I am.” Tommy agrees, delving into his pocket for a cigarette.

“What?” The brothers cry in unison.

“It’s the only way to end the war between us. A marriage between the families, bringing us together.” Tommy explains tersely. 

“Who?” Arthur splutters

“A woman from the Lee family,” Tommy says as he gets to his feet.

\--------------------------------------------------

Tommy stands in front of Johnny Doggs, a carnation, which Polly had brought with her in his lapel. She had told him how what he was doing would be good for the family. Strong ties to the other families important in case they needed more bodies during the expansion.

While he waits for his bride he looks out over the small ground, disappointed when he doesn’t find Esme amongst them. He can’t help but stare when the small woman is led towards him, a veil obscuring her face. When she reaches him her veil is lifted.

Tommy can feel himself beaming as Esme is revealed to him. Johnny speaks some words and produces a knife. Tommy holds out his hand and doesn’t feel the blade cross his palm. He watches as Esme’s palm bears a scarlet mark too.

“By the mixing of blood, two families become one,” Johnny says.

Esme reaches over and takes Tommy’s hand pushing their palms together. “Family.”


End file.
